Something Borrowed
by onekisstotakewithmex
Summary: McGee and Delilah's wedding day fast approaches, but when the stress of the wedding day becomes too much for Delilah, will the wedding still go off without a hitch? McLilah, Season 14, maybe AU, maybe not depending on 14x23 "Something Blue"


His fingers were shaking as he fumbled with his bow tie. This was it. After waiting for so long, the day was almost here. The moment was nearly upon him; the moment when his fiancée would become his wife. It was unreal, but in the best way. His heart lifted as he closed his eyes, picturing the moment when he would turn around and see her coming up the aisle. He smiled to himself, wondering what her dress would look like. Not that it mattered- she was all light and beauty in anything she wore. Try as hard as he might, he could not picture her dress. And then he remembered holding her hand in his, her mouth on his in the elevator.

It had been the best decision of his life.

"McGee! Come out here and let us see!" Bishop's voice broke the trance he was in, staring at his reflection. He wasn't entirely pleased with the result- he wanted to look as good as Delilah would. But as for color, he couldn't decide between midnight and onyx.

He opened the door and stepped out, in front of a three-way mirror.

"Didn't you leave it a _little_ late?" Quinn asked, unimpressed from where she sat beside Bishop. He ignored her, looking instead to Bishop for encouragement.

She shrugged. "It looks okay."

"Okay?" He was bordering on sounding worried.

Just as his luck would have it, the doors to the other dressing rooms opened, Reeves and Torres walking out and looking- McGee thought rather jealously- perfectly handsome, even if they both looked like rogues.

"Channelling James Bond there, 007?" Torres asked Reeves teasingly.

Reeves grinned back. "I'll just ignore that, thank you Nick."

Quinn checked her watch again, "I don't think Delilah took this long to pick a dress, Tim."

"That's because Delilah could wear anything and look beautiful," Tim replied, crossing his arms.

"Isn't that a little... biased, McGee?" Torres grinned.

"I don't think so."

"Naturally," Quinn muttered under her breath.

"Why exactly isn't Gibbs here?" Torres asked.

"Probably because he owns exactly one suit," came the voice from the final fitting room. "And he wears to every formal occasion."

Abby stepped out, looking perfect in her own suit- she had refused the dress for some reason.

McGee threw up his hands in frustration. "Great, now _everyone_ is going to look better than me at my own wedding!"

"Don't be too quick to say that," Quinn smiled. "You haven't seen _my_ dress yet."

Ellie nudged her in the shoulder, "C'mon Alex, don't be like that. You look _fine._ "

" _Fine_ wasn't what I was going for, Bishop."

McGee rolled his eyes. And then, quickly changing the subject, he asked casually, fiddling with his cufflinks, "So… do you know what Delilah's dress looks like?"

"No," Quinn said.

"Yes," Bishop said at the same time.

"And?" McGee brightened at that.

She rolled her eyes in response, walking over. "You know the answer to that, Tim. It's supposed to be a surprise."

"Damn. I almost had you."

"Let's just say… you're going to be pleased with it," she replied with a smile. "C'mon Tim, try another suit, but hurry up. You have a final meeting with the caterers at five."

"Well, Bishop, this is why I trust you." He grabbed her drink from her hand and took a sip.

"I can't believe you're goin' in for all this domestic stuff." Torres seemed oddly disgusted.

"Maybe it's a prison to you," Reeves retorted before McGee had a chance. "Some people actually enjoy the notion of commitment."

Under the cover of their bickering, Ellie leaned in and whispered, "Have you heard from Tony?"

McGee shook his head, sighing. "I wish. Probably busy with Tali."

"But he knows about you getting married."

"Of course, we usually call once a week."

"It's important, Tim." She put a hand on his arm. "I'm sure he'll be there, okay?"

"I miss him, Ellie."

"Yeah." She sighed. "Me too. But hey, Tim, smile. You're getting married in two days. To the love of your life."

His grin spread across his face. "Thanks Ellie. Now, I should go try on another suit."

Torres put on an announcer's voice. "And now, McGee goes into his fitting room, ready to try on his 304th suit."

Reeves nudged him. "Let the man have his moment, Torres."

"There is no moment, Reeves. It would be a moment if Delilah was here."

Reeves scoffed. "Such a sentimentalist."

"Do I have to send you boys outside before we all die of testosterone poisoning or can you handle yourselves for another half hour?" Quinn was unamused.

"We're fine, Alex."

"Brawl later. This is about Tim."

"Ah, Ellie, always the voice of reason."

Tim grabbed the very last suit off the hanger, the one that was somewhere in between midnight and onyx, hoping and praying that this would be the right suit for him. The one that would perfectly match Delilah's radiance… and only two more days before he saw her in her dress, her veil…

He could tune out the rest of the world. He could manage to make the worries and the job and the stress all slip away, because he had Delilah, and that was what mattered to him. Regardless of fancy ice sculptures and expensive dinners and cake tasting, he just wanted her. Come hell or high water. He could ignore the hushed argument going on outside of his fitting room door, as he did his tie, and straightened his shoulders.

He took a deep breath, unlocking the door and walking out, before stopping dead at his reflection in the mirror. He'd found it. He turned from side to side, remembering the suits he'd worn when he'd first started at NCIS. He cut an impressive figure now, and looked like the kind of man who deserved to be standing at Delilah's side for the rest of time. They had fought so hard to get here, to get past the hurt and the pain, the trials and mistakes.

And now, it was almost here.


End file.
